Faculty:

Program

Program Scope

The goal of the degree program is to prepare people for responsible positions in the public and nonprofit sectors. This includes positions in government but also in such entities as community development corporations, nonprofit social service agencies, planning and consulting organizations, and activities of private firms in public affairs and public policy areas. Applications are welcome from those with experience who wish to strengthen their capabilities or prepare themselves for new opportunities. Those without any work experience are advised to work in either the public or nonprofit sectors before applying for admission.

The Master of Public Administration is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA).

The program is based on the premise that policy and administration must be understood in relation to each other, and the core of the program seeks to develop knowledge, skills, and understanding in both public policy and public administration. The common core of the program is heavily focused on essential knowledge and skills for public and nonprofit management. Beyond the core, the program offers four areas of emphasis as an opportunity for specialization. They are nonprofit administration, policy making and analysis, public management, and urban administration. The requirements for the M.P.A., in general, and the specialty emphases, in particular, are shown in detail on the following pages. Taking an emphasis for specialization is optional. Those who choose not to pursue an emphasis may take appropriate electives to satisfy their professional needs, and students may opt to design their own emphasis. Students may choose courses relevant to their professional interests offered by other departments and programs throughout the university.

Career Outlook

Graduates from the M.P.A. program pursue their professional careers in various government agencies at federal, state, and local levels, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Government Accounting Office, city management, and state offices. In addition, those interested in the nonprofit field find careers in the numerous varieties of nonprofit organizations. Those in both areas may also go to work for consulting and research firms. Some go on to the Ph.D. in Public Administration at other universities to enter into a career in higher education.

Master of Public Administration

Graduate Advisers: Gen, Joaquin, Shea, Stowers, Wang

Admission to Program

After submitting the application for post-baccalaureate study to the university graduate admissions office, applicants should:

Write a Letter of Application to SF State MPA Program. All applicants to the San Francisco State University Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree program need to submit a Letter Of Application containing the following information (in no more four pages, double spaced):

Life experiences that have led you to an interest in public service (public or nonprofit)

Background in the public service, including any work or volunteer experience you might have in public or nonprofit agencies

Areas of specific interests in the public service, including what has led you to these specific interests

Career and professional goals and aspiration

Describe how the MPA degree will be helpful and consistent with your career goals and aspirations

Describe why this is the right time in your career to come into a MPA program and seek the degree

Describe why the SF State MPA degree program is a good fit for you and your career / professional goals

Send two letters of recommendation to the MPA program from persons familiar with the applicant’s academic or professional ability and who could speak to the candidate’s potential for succeeding in graduate school.

Send one set of transcripts of prior academic work directly to the MPA program. Another set is required by the graduate admissions office.

Candidates are required to have a GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 60 units. Due to limited space in the degree program, this requirement is only a minimum.

Non-native English speakers must submit scores of at least 550 from the paper-based TOEFL, a 213 for the computer-based test, or 80 for the Internet-based test to the graduate admissions office. Scores from the IELTS test will also be considered.

Applicants must meet all university admission requirements to be accepted into the MPA program. Applicants are judged on a competitive basis.

Potential applicants who are still completing their undergraduate work should strengthen their preparation for the program with courses in public administration, economics, politics, public policy, and research techniques as well as experience working in either the public or nonprofit sectors.

Written English Proficiency Requirement

Level One: Satisfactory performance on the Letter of Application should be achieved in order to gain admission to the degree program.Level Two: Master’s thesis or strategic assessment memo from P A 800 must be written at a level commensurate with professional standards in the field.

Advancement to Candidacy

Approval of a student’s proposed course of study (the Advancement to Candidacy) advances a student to candidacy. Completion of the Advancement to Candidacy requirements qualifies the student to apply for the award of the master’s degree. Besides meeting university requirements for advancement to candidacy, students are required to:

Complete prerequisites and any other conditions specified by the program.

Complete at least 6 units of work in graduate courses.

Maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA in all course work and in courses specified in the Advancement to Candidacy.

Consult regularly with a program adviser.

Upon advisement, upper division and graduate courses in other disciplines may be accepted if they contribute to a coherent program related to the student’s educational objectives.

Courses that are required for the major must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and a grade of B- or better.

Policy Making and Analysis

One substantive policy area course like P A 776: Environmental Policy, USP 560, or USP 570, upon advisement, is also required.

Total for emphasis: 12 units

Public Management

Course

Title

Units

P A 740

Public Sector Management

3

Units selected from the following: 9 units

Course

Title

P A 742

Strategic Public and Nonprofit Management

P A 750

Financial Management in the Public Sector

P A 752

Public Administration and the Law

P A 755

Information and Knowledge Management for the 21st Century

P A 757

E-Government

P A 760

Diversity in Public Organizations

P A 762

Leadership for the Public and Nonprofit Sectors

P A 770

Policy Analysis

P A 775

Program Evaluation

P A 776

Environmental Policy

ECON 601

Applied Microeconomics

PLSI 731

Ethics and Politics (4)

Total for emphasis: 12 units

Urban Administration

Course

Title

Units

P A 780

Urban Administration

3

Units selected from the following: 9 units

Course

Title

ECON 535/USP 535

Urban Economics

GEOG 433/USP 433

Urban Transportation (4)

GEOG 858/P A 858

Seminar in Environmental and Land Use Planning

P A 752

Public Administration and the Law

P A 755

Information and Knowledge Management for the 21st Century

P A 757

E-Government

P A 760

Diversity in Public Organizations

P A 762

Leadership for the Public and Nonprofit Sectors

P A 770

Policy Analysis

P A 775

Program Evaluation

P A 776

Environmental Policy

P A 782

Community and Economic Development

P A 784

Intergovernmental Relations

USP 560

Urban Poverty and Policy (4)

USP 565

Social Policy and Family Systems (4)

USP 570

Urban Health Policy

USP 580

Urban Housing

USP 582

Homelessness and Public Policy

Total for emphasis: 12 units

Culminating Experience Requirement

Students in the public administration program can choose between two options
for their culminating experience:

Students may choose to take a capstone course (P A 800) and to complete a written comprehensive examination, the Strategic Assessment Memorandum (SAM). The capstone course focuses upon synthesizing the knowledge, skills, and abilities learned during the course of each student’s program through the analysis of case studies of policy and organizational issues from the field. Students complete their e-portfolio, analyze selected case studies, and present their strategic assessment of what managers operating in those cases should do to take the issue "to the next step"—to resolve it. The strategic assessment memo is the written presentation of each student’s analysis and plan for that case.

Students may also choose to undertake a traditional social science research project in the guise of the Master’s Thesis (P A 898) option. Working with a faculty committee, students write a prospectus, have it approved the semester before undertaking the research, and write the thesis. After initiating this option, students must enroll each additional semester in P A 897, Research in Public Administration, until the thesis is completed.

Public Administration Program Eportfolio

San Francisco State University public administration students graduate with a portfolio of work products and evaluations of student work designed to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities acquired in the public administration program. The required components of the portfolio have been chosen based upon a careful assessment of the skills that are crucial for the success of the public administrator in the new millennium. Students publish selected program work along with explanations of their accomplishments in the degree program on websites as eportfolios available to potential and current employers.

Eugene I. Pearl Memorial Scholarship

Students specializing in urban administration are eligible, on a competitive basis, for the Eugene I. Pearl Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship reimburses students for the cost of their textbooks; can be renewed each semester, also on a competitive basis.

Cho Public Service Scholarships

SF State Cho Public Service Scholarships are available on a competitive basis for incoming and continuing students. Students are selected on the basis of outstanding academic achievement, outstanding community service, and potential for excellence in the public and nonprofit sectors.

Please contact the program office for information and applications.

Footnote

Internship requirement may be waived upon evidence and approval of previous or concurrent educationally appropriate work experience in public policy or administration or may be met with equivalent courses in related programs. Back to internship requirement